


The World Within-Chapter Two

by jeweldancer



Series: The World Within [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Amnesia, Anxiety Disorder, F/M, Fear of being attacked, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Psychological Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-23
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-06-03 00:00:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6588640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeweldancer/pseuds/jeweldancer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel has decided that his existence is worth fighting for. He manages to expel Lucifer, but the resulting mental trauma induces amnesia. Cas remembers nothing of his life, or of the Winchesters, but he senses that something very important is missing. </p><p>Dean knows he has royally screwed up. If he'd just let Cas know how much he meant to them--to him--then maybe he wouldn't have sacrificed himself. Now Cas is missing, and Dean is desperate to find him and try to repair what may be the best thing he's ever had.</p><p>Sam is tired--of loneliness, constant loss, physical and psychological pain. He says nothing, because Dean needs him right now, but he doesn't know how much more he can take.</p><p>The woman who finds Cas turns out to be unexpectedly important to all of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The World Within-Chapter Two

(Gwen)

Breathe. Just breathe.

One foot in front of the other. Just a little while, and you'll be home. 

The workday was over. I had smiled to the end, although after four o'clock had passed, the smile had become more of a grimace. None of the customers noticed; probably none of them cared. Certainly not one of the six people who had bitten my head off undeservedly since this morning. 

Having a customer service job was awesome.

In an ill-advised surge of optimism, I had walked to work that morning. Exercise and fresh air and all that. Now it was after 7 PM and nearly dark, and the beginning of a migraine was pulsing near my left temple. As I exited the building, a steady rain was falling, and I unfurled my umbrella.

Anyone else would've had a boyfriend or a sister or somebody to call for a ride, but there was no one in my phone contacts I felt comfortable calling. I was pathetic enough without having to make some aquaintance feel sorry for me. I clutched my purse close to my belly and fished out my can of pepper spray. I only had a few more blocks to go, but better safe than sorry.

Walking through the park during the daytime was soothing--sunshine, children laughing, college students studying under the trees. After dusk, it was deserted and eerie. Well, there was no way around it. I held my head up with false confidence and kept an eye on my surroundings.

Shit. There was a dude sitting on one of the park benches up ahead. He was slumped forward, elbows on his knees, hands slack. 

Please don't bother me. Please don't bother me.

I approached him on the path, trying to slow my breathing to a normal rate, trying not to draw attention to myself. I couldn't see his face, only his dark hair. He looked like an office worker, maybe. Dress pants and shirt with a trench coat. I relaxed a little. Probably harmless. 

When I was about ten feet away, his head popped up and he looked straight at me.

Dammit. He was crying. 

The guy's chest was heaving with sobs, and his eyes were swollen. He'd been at this for a while. He looked lost and terrified. Damn it, again. I shouldn't say anything to him; I should keep going. He could be a serial killer. 

"Are you all right?" Oh, good. My mouth was working of its own accord. And the quality of conversation was of my usual caliber; this man was clearly far from "all right". Way to go, me.

It took him a minute to get ahold of himself. He was at the stage of crying where your throat is raw and you can no longer breathe through your nose. I was familiar with uncontrollable crying, all right. I just tried not to do it in public. 

"He's gone."

"Who's gone? Have you lost your kid? We need to call 911 if..."

"No. No. He's not a child. He...he's supposed to be gone. It's what I wanted."

"Oh. Well, that's good then, isn't it?"

He looked into my eyes, and it felt like I could see directly into his soul. There was nothing there but sadness and despair. I had never seen someone so devastated.

"I can't remember. Everything else is gone."

**Author's Note:**

> Guys, don't do what she did. Stay out of dangerous places after dark. And before dark. Stay safe.


End file.
